CLOSING SOON! CBC Bike Of The Year 2013

298_bike20of20the20year20graphic202013-1 — **Your vote counts!**

All of the bikes have received much midnight oil, expertise and tlc from the owners and all are an absolute credit to them.

All seven machines will be on the Mortons stand at the forthcoming 20th Carole Nash Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show at the Stafford County Showground on October 19-20, so you can get up close with some of the finest examples of restorations we’ve seen. The winner will receive £1000-worth of goodies and a prestigious bespoke trophy.

The Classic Bikers Club Bike of the Year trophy consists of a piston, con rod and valves from the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade raced to victory by John McGuinness in last year’s Isle of Man Dainese Superbike TT. McGuinness’s victory on June 2, 2012 was his 18th TT win and he managed it at an average speed of 128.078mph. The trophy’s high performance components were removed from the machine after the race and brought together into a single piece in-house by Honda Racing based at Louth, Lincolnshire. It is a true part of motorcycle racing history that money cannot buy. The trophy will be presented in the Main Hall at 4pm on Sunday.

Cast your vote below. Click on the image galleries for more information and further pics on the restoration.

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Kawasaki Z1 1973, best in show winner at Stafford show, October 2012. Owned by Dave Orritt
Kawasaki Z1, genuine UK specification one (only 40 examples were available from Kawasaki in 1973).

It’d previously been used for drag racing by the first owner and the frame had been strengthened around the headstock, under the tank and across both side ‘V’ frame joints. I spent a lot of time and de-strengthened the frame to factory specification and dressed the metalwork. I prepared the frame and all blackwork and painted the frame with cellulose paint to match the factory finish.

As for the engine, it needed a full rebuild and was completely professionally prepared to original standard and presentation, using genuine Kawasaki parts.

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The bike restoration was finally completed at the beginning of 2011.

During 2012 the bike was photographed and featured as the cover model in Kawasaki Z1 Buyers Guide published by Veloce.

It was entered in the Stafford show in October 2012 and was displayed on the VJMC stand in the main hall. It won best in show.

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Kawasaki H2A 1972 best in show at Newark, January 2013. Owned by Ray Bourne
Ray Bourne’s Kawasaki H2A was built in late 1972 before being exported to America, crashing into a Colorado pond and then brought to the UK where steelworker Ray, from Walsall in the West Midlands, bought it in 2009.

A whirlwind restoration followed and it was finished in early 2012.

It’s taken over 700 hours to get the bike in the condition you see above. “I spent every spare minute on it,” said Ray.

Nearly all the replacement parts used are original Kawasaki bits. The bike is still ridden today.

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Husqvarna 180 546cc, best in show at Bristol, February 2013. Owned by Rodney Hann
The Bristol Best in Show award went to Rodney Hann’s 546cc Husqvarna 180. Rodney carried out a full restoration between 2002-04. The frame, V-twin engine and gearbox are Husqvarna’s own manufacture. Husqvarna is one of the oldest motorcycle manufacturers, as it started making motorcycles in 1903.

This bike was brought to England around 1970 but never used. It was taken in part exchange for a Rover machine wanted by a Swedish enthusiast. It was advertised for sale in 2000 and I was the first person to respond, and luckily a deal was done. The machine was virtually complete and in good condition and all tinware was sound, but the bike needed a full restoration.

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Triumph T120 R, 1969 best in show at Stafford show in April 2013. Owner Graham Bowen

Graham has restored the 650cc to original spec and used a mid-season paint scheme on the fuel tank.

Well known in classic circles for his string of fabulous Triumph restorations, Graham has actually owned the US specification machine for about 10 years, though it was only restored recently.

He said: “I did this one mainly because I really liked the colour. I saw a petrol tank like it years ago, at (Triumph specialist) John Critchlow’s shop, and said, ‘one day I’ll do one of those’. Eight bikes later and I finally did.”

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BSA Spitfire Hornet, 1965, best in show at the Lanark show in May 2013. Owned by Doug Harvey

A very rare west coast USA version of BSA’s Desert Racer. Found in Santa Monica, California and shipped back to UK and restored using only original or new old stock parts. The bike has original new-old-stock paintwork and seat, which were very rare 20 years ago and impossible to find these days.

Only produced in this Spitfire Hornet specification for one year, 1965. The bike was imported back from Santa Monica California and restored over a three year period by Keith Barnett. The restoration was completed and the bike UK registered in 1991.

I bought the bike in 2008, it had been in a lock up in Norwich, Norfolk for some time. The bike was stripped and refurbished to bring it back to its present condition.

The bike retains many rare original items such as the Monza capped hirise glassfibre petrol tank and virtually everything on the bike is refurbished original or new-old-stock replacements.

The correct side panels were sourced in America, the left-hand one in California and the right-hand one in Illinois!

Similarly the left-hand exhaust came from New York and the right-hand one from Nova Scotia, Canada!

With its standard gearing the Spitfire Hornet was faster over the quarter mile than the Spitfire MK2 running on GP carbs.

The sound from the open pipes is awesome but I’m not sure my neighbours would agree!

Kork Ballington rode the bike in a parade lap at Uttoxeter classic show and it is regularly ridden to events, classic parades and Donington Park.

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Yamaha RD350-based special, 1981, winner at the Newark Bike Bonanza, June 2013. Owned by Chris Thompson
Chris’s Yamaha features a 427cc ‘Banshee’ engine, giving 86bhp. It is equipped with 35mm carbs, V-force reeds, Dent exhaust pipes and a Ganx radiator. It has a Suzuki GSXR400 front end, an RGV250 swinging arm and numerous other nice, bespoke details, including a beautifully finished, hand-stitched seat. Colours – and the paintwork is stunning too – is a homage to Kenny Roberts.

Chris finished it in 2011, but it’s taken the next two years to get it to run as he wanted. He said; “I’m really happy with it now. The engine is temperamental but that’s to be expected because of its state of tune. My biggest problem is that as it’s a special, it never seems finished and I’ve kept doing more. I’m worried I’ll eventually ruin it!”

To that end, Chris has done another RD special, this an equally stunning – but not quite finished – slightly newer YPVS. When that’s done he’s got an RD50M to do, and a slabside GSXR750.

Chris: “I had 10 years out of bikes, what with family commitments and such, but now I seem to be more involved than ever!”

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BSA A50 Royal Star, 1969, winner at Netley Marsh Eurojumble, September 2013. Owned by Brian Winslow
The bike was exported to Kuwait from new for the armed forces and re-imported in 2007, with owners in Sheffield, Dorset and Hastings until Brian found and bought the bike in 2010. He’s been working on it ever since and has plans for it in the future including a re-chrome of the fuel tank.